Pingwu, Baima & Wanglang
A mountain county in northern Mianyang with the well-preserved Ming-dynasty Bao'en Temple, linked with Baima Tibetan Township and the Wanglang giant panda reserve along the eastern Jiuzhai loop, known for primeval forest and autumn colors.
Pingwu County lies in northern Mianyang, Sichuan, between the Min Mountains and the Motian Range, bordering Gansu to the north and Jiuzhaigou to the west. It is a mountain county on the eastern route of the Jiuzhai loop and is known as "China's No. 1 giant panda county".
There are three main areas: in town, Pingwu Bao'en Temple is a well-preserved Ming-dynasty palace-style Buddhist temple built of nanmu wood, dubbed the "Forbidden City in the mountains"; about 2 hours north is Baima Tibetan Township, where in Eli and Paxijia villages you can experience the Baima people's wooden houses, white-feathered felt hats and bonfire parties, and around Chinese New Year see the "Tiao Caogai" mask dance, a national intangible heritage; deeper still is the Wanglang area of Giant Panda National Park, outstanding for its primeval fir forest, alpine meadows and autumn colors. West of town is Huya Gorge (rhododendrons in May, frozen waterfalls in winter), and the Laohegou reserve in Gaocun Township to the northeast offers guided nature tours by reservation.
The best time is Apr–Oct: rhododendrons Apr–May, a cool escape Jul–Aug and peak fall colors in mid-to-late October; winters in the mountains are cold and some sites close. Getting there: about 2.5–3 hours by road from Mianyang, continuing via Wanglang and Baima to Jiuzhaigou. Tourist buses run from town to Baima–Wanglang and Huya Gorge but are infrequent, so driving is recommended. Plan on 2–3 days.
Top sights
- Pingwu Bao'en Temple – A Ming-dynasty Buddhist temple built in palace style from nanmu wood, remarkably well preserved and known as the 'Forbidden City in the mou…
- Wanglang National Nature Reserve – One of China's earliest giant panda reserves, now part of the giant panda national park. Known for its primeval fir forests and autumn colo…
- Baima Tibetan Township & Erli Village – A mountain township of the Baima people, with painted wooden houses built into the hillside, homestays, bonfire parties, and the 'Tiaocaoga…
- Baxijia Old Village – One of the better-preserved old villages among the Eighteen Baima Villages, with traditional wooden houses and prayer flags arranged up the…
- Huya Gorge – A canyon more than a kilometre deep, flanked by jagged peaks resembling tiger teeth, with the Dalongkou Waterfall in its depths, azalea fie…
- Laohegou Nature Reserve – China's first nature reserve managed by a non-profit organisation, where visitors can observe wildlife and autumn foliage with village ecol…
Itineraries
- Jiuzhaigou East Loop & Zoigê-Hongyuan Grassland – Enter Jiuzhaigou from the east via the Jiumian Expressway, and return to Chengdu via Huanglong, Zoigê, Hongyuan, and Da…